Morris tribune., 1887-08-10
HE SERVED HIS TIME.
A ONCE WELL-kNOWN CHlCAGOAN
RELEASED FROM JOLIET.

The Crime for Which He Suffered Was
the killing of His Pretty but Unfaithful
Wife-A Short Sketch of the Tragedy
How the Prisoner Was Employed In the
Penitentiary.
JOLIET, Ills, Aug S-After serving eight
years and three months behind the grim walls
of the Joliet penitentiary Peter E, Stevens,
the Young clerk who killed his wife, Mamie,
at Chicago in 1878, has been restored TO lib
erty, his sentence having expired Friday
morning. The time allowed by law for good
conduct amounted to i've years and nine
months, and this was deducted from Ms four
teen years sentence In prison Stevsns
proved to be most exemplary eoaviet. By
strict attention to his duties and aniforsn
good conduct he gained The esteem and
goodwill Of every officer about the
prison. For over five years he performed
h ard prison labor. without complaint, IN
one of the contract shops where tho disci-
pline was very rigid. Stevens was the most
artistic penman that was ever confined at
Joliet, and when this fact became known
Mr. Muller the chief clerk of the peniten
tiary used his best endeavors to get Stevens
out of the contractors shop and into the
Clerh OlllCS, Huef6 Ills NOulI 10 Va
use to the state For three years past and up
to the day of his discharge Stevens has been
a clerk in Mr.. Muller's office. Stevens was a
young man of respectable family and good
character, and from 1873 to 1876 was dep
uty clerk in the superior court in Chicago.
During the progress of trial in
that court he first saw the girl who
afterward, unfortunately for both, became
his wife. Mamie Young was then under Is
years of age, of very attractive appearance,
with large hazel eyes, dark-brown hair, rich
olive complexion and finely developed figure.
She at once fascinated Stevens. Stevens sue
ceeded both in making Mamie Young's &C
Quaintance and in SO winning favor as
sutton that before many weeks he was an &C
cepted lover and they were married. The
beginning of trouble between the pair was
the discovery by Stevens Of some letters ad.
dressed to Mamie Young, not to Mamie
Stevens 1t was plain that Mamie had not
informed her admirer of her marriage.
Stevens was angered at this evidence OF
Irritation, and the young couple led afterward
sorry life
He found her one day in jefferson park
with one of her admirers, and, walking up to
him, told him that she was his wife Mamie
Indignantly denied it. Mad with jealousy,
he followed them, and requested a private
talk with her, which, with contempt she re-
fused. Pete pulled a revolver, and Mamie,
turning pale, exclaimed:
'Pete, would you shoot met"
She never spoke again. Two sharp reports
were heard, and the leaden messengers Of
death sped through the heart of his faithless
wife Pete's own character at that time was
not of the best.
The arrest and trial followed quickly, and
on account of their sensational character at.
tracted widespread attention. The court
room was daily crowded. The perfidy Of his
wife was shown up at the trial and the plea
of emotional insanity was presented The
jury, after being out over twenty hours, and
standing all the time seven for aequittal and
five for conviction, finally agreed on a YER
dict of fourteen years in prison. As Pete
was being led out of the courtroom after the
verdict, Mamies mother ran up behind him,
drew pistol and attempted to fire. The pis-
toll snapped and Pete's life was spared Pete
hopes to gain position in Chicago.